WELDING

NATURE OF WORK - Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers held about 337,300 jobs in Welders will either work outdoors or in a confined space to contain sparks. - They wear safety shoes, goggles, masks with protective lenses, and other equipment to protect from burns and falling objects. - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that welders work in safely ventilated areas to avoid danger from inhaling gases and fine particles that can result from welding processes. - Most welders work full time jobs and overtime is common. The shifts range from 8 to 12 hours

EDUCATION AND TRAINING NEEDED -Formal training is available in high school technical education courses and in postsecondary institutions, such as vocational-technical institutes, community colleges, and private welding, soldering, and brazing schools. - The army also offers welding and sodering schools. - Some employers are willing to hire inexperienced entry- level workers and train them on the job, but many prefer to hire workers who have been through formal training programs. - An understanding of electricity also is helpful, and knowledge of computers is gaining importance as welding, soldering, and brazing machine operators become more responsible for programming robots and other computer- controlled machines. - Because understanding the welding process and inspecting welds is important for both welders and welding machine operators, companies hiring machine operators prefer workers with a background in welding.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS NECESSARY -Some welding positions require general certification in welding or certification in specific skills, such as inspection or robotic welding. -The ability to endure long periods of standing or repetitious movements is important for welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers. - Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers must have a steady hand to hold a torch in one place. Workers must also have good hand-eye coordination. - Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers must do precision work, often with straight edges and minimal flaws. Therefore, workers should have a keen eye for detail. - Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers must have the ability to detect cracked pieces of metal and be able to repair them.

JOB OUTLOOK AND FUTURE PROSPECTS -Employment of welders, cutters, and brazers is expected to grow 15% from which is about the average for all occupations. -Employment growth reflects the need for welders in manufacturing because of the importance and versatility of welding as a manufacturing process. -Skills of welders are the same. So they can easily shift from one industry to another depending on where they are needed most. -Growth of the defense industry, including the manufacturing of aircrafts and missiles, is expected to contribute to employment growth. - In addition, the nation’s aging infrastructure will require the expertise of many welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers to rebuild bridges, highways, and buildings, resulting in some new jobs.

-The median annual wage of welders, cutters, solderers and brazers was $35,450 in May The lowest 10 percent earned less than $23,940 -and the top 10 percent earned more than $53,690. POTENTIAL EARNINGS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE

-assemblers and fabricators. -Boiler makers. - Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers. RELATED OCCUPATIONS

RESOURCES "Summary." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Web. 26 Mar N.p., n.d. Web.